Adjustable candle-holding attachment for candlesticks



(No Model.)

' L.N.THELEN. ADJUSTABLE CANDLE HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR GANDLESTIGKS No. 559,875. Patented May 12, 1896.

AN DREW l.www.mom-Mmumnsmmut.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricE.

ADlUSTABLE CANDLE-HOLDING ATTACHMENT FOR CANDLESTICKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 559,875, dated. May 12, 1896.

Application filed May 20, 1895. Serial No. 549,917. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it kn own that I, LEONARD N. THELEN, of Darlington, in the county of Lafayette and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Adjustable Candle- Holdin g Attachments for Candlesticks, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in adjustable candle-holding attachments for candlesticks.

The object of the invention is to provide a construction capable of being adjusted accurately to fit any size of candle, the adjust ment involving the slightest possible amount of trouble and loss of time.

Withthe above primary object in view the invention consists of the devices and parts, or their equivalents, as hereinafter more fully set forth.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my invention, showing the same applied to a form of metallic candlestick used in religious services. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the upper portion of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the complete device. Fig. et is an inverted plan view with the lower section of the attachment removed; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view of an ordinary form of candlestick, illustrating clearly how my attachment can be applied thereto.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral (3 indicates the candlestick shown in Figs. 1 and This form of candlestick is provided at its upper end with a recess 7, from a central point of the bottom of which recess a screw 8 projects upwardly. This screw ordin arily is adapted to engage a threaded opening of a sockct-piecc (not shown) for holding the candle.

The attachment proper consists of two sectionsviz., a lower section 0 and an upper section said sections being preferably of disk form. The first-named section is provided with a depending interiorly-threaded stem 11, and in order to adjust the same to the form of candlestick illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 the socket-piece hcreinhefore referred to is removed and said depending stem is screwed onto the screw 8, as clearly shown in Extending upwardly from the center of the top face of the lower section is a boss 12, said boss terminating in a reduced portion 13. This reduced portion has a threaded opening therethrough, said opening forming a continuation of the aperture of the depending stem 11. The upper face of section 9 is also provided at its edge and circuniferentially with a series of teeth 14, forming an annular rack. The upper section 10 has also depend ing from its under side a boss 15, which is provided with a central opening to receive therein the reduced portion 13. The lower end of this boss rests and turns upon the upper end of boss 12. Passing centrally through the section 10 and entering the threaded opening of the reduced portion 13 is a screw 16, which serves to retain the upper section in place. The upper section is slotted at diametrically opposite points, as indicated at 17 17, said slots extending from the edge inwardly to near the pivot-screw.

Flanges 18 18 project downwardly from the under side of section 10 at the outer ends of the slots, said flanges provided with inwardlyextending arms 19 19, through which arms screws are passed for securing the flanges in place.

Screw-shafts 20 20 are located beneath and in longitudinal alineinent with the slots 17 17. The inner ends of these screw-shafts have their bearings at diametrically opposite points of the depending boss 15, while their outer ends are journaled in the depending flanges 18 18. Mounted upon the screw-shafts so as to travel thereon are nuts 21 21, and upon the outer ends of said shafts are pinions 22 22, which mesh with the annular rack 14.

Upon the top of section 10, immediately above the slots, are plates 23 23, the under sides of which are rigidly attached to the nuts 21. The inner end of each plate is provided with a semicircular recess 24:, which, when the plates are adjusted inwardly to their full extent, surround the head of the screw 16. Projecting upwardly from the plates 23 are angular clamping-jaws 25 25.

The numeral 26 indicates a cylindrical protecting-casing, which is provided at diametrically opposite points with horizontal slots 27 27, through which slots, when the casing is adjusted to the attachment in the manner clearly shown in the drawings, the outer ends of the plates 23 are adapted to pass when the clamping-jaws are adj usted outwardly. This casin g is provided with a series of holes through which screws 29 pass and enter the edge of the section 10, thereby holding the casing in place.

In operation the lower end of the candle 30 is placed in the space between the two clamping-jaws. The cylindrical casing is then turned by hand in the direction of the arrow, Fig. The rotation of the casing will be communicated to the upper section 10, and pinions 22 will thereby be made to rotate on the annular rack, causing the nuts 21 to move inwardly, and the plates 23, carrying the clamping-jaws, to likewise move inwardly,the latter thereby engaging the candle and holding it firmly in place. Then it is desired to release the candle, it is obvious that all that is necessary to be done is to turn the cylindrical casing in an opposite direction. If a candle of considerable diameter is required to be fitted and the space between the clamping-jaws is not suflicient to admit the lower end of the candle, it will be necessary to adjust the clamping-jaws outwardly by turning the cylindrical casing in the first instance in a reverse direction to that indicated by the arrow.

The angular form of the clamping-jaws is the preferable construction, as the candle is thereby much more conveniently and securely clamped. however, as restricting myself to that particular shape, as any other configuration may be employed without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

It is important that the plates 23 extend outwardly a considerable distance from the clamping-jaws, inasmuch as thereby the portions of the slots 17 outside of the clampingjaws are at all times protected and drippings of candle-grease from the upper end of the candle prevented from passing through the slots and clogging up the gearing and other parts of the mechanism.

It is obvious that the cylindrical casing 26 is not absolutely essential to successful results, as the same could be omitted and the upper section 10 of the attachment turned directly by hand. I prefer to employ the cylindrical casing, however, as not only are all the parts thereby thoroughly protected and hidden from view, but a much more ornate appearance is thereby presented.

Fig. 5 clearly illustrates the manner in which my attachment is applied to an ordinary form of candlestick not provided with the upwardly-extending screw 8. This form of candlestick is indicated by the numeral 31. If the recess 32 thereof is too large to receive the depending stem 11 snugly therein, the diameter of said recess is diminished by fitting therein a bushing 33, of cork or equivalent material, into the opening of which bushing the depending stem is inserted.

I do not wish to be understood,

From the above description it will be seen that I provide a device which is adjusted in the most simple manner to fit any of the usual sizes of candles, is not complex in construction, and requires but an instant of time to perfect the adjustment. It will also be found particularly useful in the form of candlestick shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which is used extensively in church service, in which form it is exceedingly advantageous to have a candlestick suitable for varying sizes of candles in which the adjustment for the different sizes can be readily effected.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an adjustable candle-holding attachment for candlesticks, the combination, of a lower plate adapted to be fitted to a candlestick, an upper plate having at diametrically opposite points elongated slots radiating outwardly from the center, clamping-jaws arranged above the upper plate, said clampingjaws provided at their lower ends with outwardly-extendin g horizontal plates located above the slots, and adapted to cover the pertions of said slots outside of the clampingjaws, and thereby prevent candle-grease from passing therethrough, an annular rack on one of the sections, screw-shafts journaled in bearings in the other section, pinions mounted on said shafts and meshing with the annular rack, and nuts on the screw-shafts, said nuts entering the elongated slots of the upper plate, and rigidly connected to the clampingjaws, or to the outwardly-extending horizon tal plates thereof.

2. In an adjustable candle-holding attachment for candlesticks, the combination of a lower plate adapted to be fitted to a candlestick, an upper plate provided with elongated slots radiating outwardly from the center, clampingjaws arranged above the upper plate, said jaws provided at their lower ends with outwardly-extending horizontal plates located above the slots, an annular rack on one of the sections, screw-shafts journaled in bearings in the other section, pinions on said screw-shafts meshin g with the annular rack, nuts on the screw-shafts, said nuts entering the elongated slots of the upper plate, and rigidly connected to the clamping-jaws, or to the outwardly-extending horizontal plates thereof, and a casing surrounding the entire attachment, and extending above the clampin g-j aws thereof, said casin g being removably secured to the edge of one of the plates, and provided at opposite points with horizontal slots through which the horizontal plates of the clamping-jaws extend, whensaid jaws are adjusted outwardly.

In an adjustable candle-holding attachment for candlesticks, the combination, of a lower section adapted to be fitted to a candlestick, and provided centrally with an upwardly-extending stem, an upper section having a depending boss supported by the lower section, szticl boss having an aperture therethrongh for the reception therein of the up wercily-extending stem of the lower section, whereby said stem of the lower section forms a, pivot for the upper section, jaws carried by the upper section, and means for adjusting said jaws closer together or farther apart, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEONARD N. THELEN.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR L. MoRsELL, ANNA V. FAUST. 

